Steam-cooker.



No. 640,053. Patented Dec. 26, I899. a. WALTER.

STEAM COOKER.

(Application filed June 28, 1899.) (No Model.)

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NlTED STATES PATENT Fries.

JOI-IN WALTER, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, ASSIGNOR OF TlVO-TI'IIRDS TO RIOIIARD R. FOOTE, OF SAME PLACE, AND CLARK II. MORSER, OF NOR- FOLK, VIRGINIA.

STEAM-COOKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,053, dated December 26, 1899.

Application filed June 28, 1899.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN WALTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at J acksonville, in the county of Duval and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Steam-Cooker, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to domestic steamcookers of that class which are adapted to be placed upon the top of an ordinary stove, and has for its object to. provide a device in which the articles being cooked are separated from each other and fresh steam direct from the boiler or generator is supplied to the individual articles without passing from one to the other.

A further object is to provide means whereby the supply of steam to the respective articles of food may be independently regulated and entirely out off and, furthermore, to maintain the same in a heated condition after being cooked without becoming dried or Water-soaked.

To these ends the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details may be made in the construction without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improved steam-cooker. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 00 :0, Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a detail perspective view of one of the valves for cutting off the steam to the cookers. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the food-supporting racks.

Oorrespondin g parts are designated by like reference characters in all the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the boiler or steam-generator, of rectangular form, and provided at its top with an upstanding peripheral flange 2 and at its bottom with a pendent flange 3. The top of the boiler is provided with an opening 4 for cleaning purposes and is closed by means of Serial No. 722,174. (No man.)

a suitable sdrew plug or cap 5. A suitable bail-handle A is provided upon the top of the boiler, whereby the latter may be conveniently handled. Provided at one side of the boiler is a filling-spout 6', having a suitable cover 7, and by means of which water may be introduced into the boiler. Located near'the lower end of the boiler and upon the same side as the filling-spout is a faucet 8, whereby hot water may be drawn off for use in anydesired manner.

Pendent from the top of the boiler is a plu-' rality of steam pipes or passages 9, one for each side of the boiler, with the exception of the side having the filling-spout and the hotwater faucet. Each of the pipes or tubes projects above the top of the boiler, being connected thereto in any suitable manner, and the lower end extends downward to a point near the bottom of the boiler, where it is provided with a transverse branch passage 10, extending through the adjacent side of the boiler and projecting a suitable distance outward beyond the same. Near the upper end of the pipe there is provided a transverse opening 11, which is located above the level of the water contained within the boiler and adapted to admit the steam into the pipe. The passage of the steam through this opening is controlled by means of a valve or hollow turning plug 12, fitted in the open upper end of the tube and provided with a ring or eye 13, located at the upper end of the plug, exterior of the boiler, and adapted to form a handle for operating the plug. The latter is cut away at one side and at the lower end thereof, as at 14, and the opening thus formed is adapted to be alined with the opening 11 in the pipe 9, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to permit of the entrance of the steam from the boiler into the pipe. Then it is desired to cut off the steam from the pipe, the plug is turned axially, so that the imperforate portion thereof may close the openingin the pipe, and thereby prevent ingress of the steam therethrough. I

Fitted to each side of the boiler, having a steam-pipe, is a cookingreceptacle 15 of sub stantially segmental shape in cross-section,

having one fiat side 16, which is fitted flush against the adj acent side of the boiler. Provided at the upper edge of the flat side 16 is a hooked flange 17, which is adapted to be engaged with the upper flange 2 of the boiler, so as to suspend the cooker therefrom. Near the lower end of the flat side there is provided an opening 18,which is adapted to snugly receive the projecting end of the adjacent branch pipe 10, whereby the cooker is firmly connected to the boiler and the steam may have access to the interior thereof; also, as the projecting ends of the steam-passages enter the cookers such projecting ends serve to brace the cookers, and thereby prevent accidental lateral movement. The upper open end of the cooker is provided with a suitable hinged cover 19, whereby access may be had to the interior of the cooker for the purpose of positioning and removing the articles of food to be cooked. The cover 19 is provided with a suitable spring-catch 20, adapted to engage the outer side of the cooker, and thereby hold the cover closed. By reason of the hooked flange 17 engaging over the upstanding flange 2 at the top of the boiler the cooker is removably connected thereto, and as the branch pipe 10 is snugly received through the opening 18, formed in the flat side of cooker, the latter is held against accidental lateral movement. Each of the cookers is provided at opposite sides with suitable handles B, whereby the cookers may be conveniently handled to remove the same from the boiler. Provided in the lower end of the cooker is a removable rack comprising a flat perforate segmental plate 21, having an upwardly-flared flange 22, extending entirely across the straight edge of the plate, and an arcuate flange 23, pendent from the curved edge of the plate. This rack is adapted to be supported by the arcuate flange, which is of a width to dispose the perforate plate 21 immediately above the open discharge end of the transverse branch of the steam-pipe 9, whereby the steam is adapted to be applied beneath and to pass upwardly through the articles to be cooked, which are placed upon the perforate rack.

It will be understood that the boiler may be constructed with any preferred number of sides and steam pipes and cookers provided for each side, whereby a great number of articles may be cooked at the same time. Each cooker is entirely separate from the others and is provided independently with steam directly from the boiler or generator, so that the steam does not pass from one cooker to the other, and thereby carry the taste or smell of one article of food to the other. The rack supporting the articles of food above the bottom of the cooker provides a space for the collection of condensed moisture, so that the food may be effectively cooked and not become water-soaked. The supply of steam to the cookers may be controlled by the turning plugs, so as to regulate the cooking of the articles, and may be entirely shut off when the latter are cooked. By reason of the fact that the cookers fit directly against the exterior of the boiler the cooked food within the cookers is kept in a heated condition after the steam has been cut off therefrom and the entire device removed from the stove, whereby the food is maintained in a proper condition for serving without becoming dried or water-soaked.

Vhen the device is used upon a gas or oil stove, the flange 3 is adapted to confine the flame within the same, and thereby obtain the maximum heating effect of the flame.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a steam-cooker, the combination with a steam boiler or generator, having a plurality of steam-passages projecting laterally at the outer sides thereof, and also provided with means for controlling the supply of steam therethrough, of a plurality of cookers detachably fitted in contact with the sides of the generator, and having openings receiving the projecting ends of the respective steam-passages, said projecting ends also bracing the cookers against accidental lateral movement, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a steam-cooker, the combination with a steam boiler or generator, having an upstanding peripheral fiange at the top thereof, and steam-supply passages, of a plurality of cookers provided with hooked flanges engaging the flange of the boiler or generator, and removably connecting the cookers in engagement with the sides of the generator, each cooker being connected to one of the steamsupply passages, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a steam-cooker, the combination with a steam boiler or generator, having steamsupply pipes located interiorly and branch passages projecting outwardly through the sides thereof, of a plurality of cookers pendent from the upper end of the boiler or generator and provided with openings adapted to receive the respective projections of the branch passages, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a steam-cooker, the combination with a steam boiler or generator having internal steam-passages pendent from the top of the boiler or generator, each passage being provided near its upper end with a steam-inlet opening and at its lower end with a transverse passage projecting outwardly through the adjacent side of the generator, means for controlling the supply of steam through the inletopening, and cookers pendent from the top of the generator and provided near their lower ends with transverse openings adapted to receive the projecting ends of the transverse steam-passages, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a steam-cooker, the combination with a steam boiler or generator having interior steam-pipes pendent from the top of the generator and opening outward through the same, each pipe being provided at its lower end with a transverse branch projecting outwardly through the adjacent side, and at its upper end with a steam-inlet opening, hollow turning plugs fitted in the upper ends of the respective steam-pipes and provided with transverse openings, and steam-cookers fitted to the sides of the generator and provided with transverse openings adapted to receive the projecting ends of therespective transverse steam-pipes, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a steam-cooker, the combination with a steam boiler or generator having steam-pipes projecting outwardly through the sides thereof, of cookers fitted to the sides of the generator and receiving the outer ends of the respective steam-pipes near the lower end of the cooker, and perforate racks fitted in the respective cookers and located above the discharge end of the respective steampipes, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a steam-cooker, the combination with asteam boiler or generator having steam-supply pipes projecting outwardly through the sides thereof, of cookers fitted to the sides of the generator and receiving the projecting ends of the respective steam-pipes, and racks located within the respective cookers, each rack comprising a flat perforate plate and a pendent-fitted flange, the latter being adapted to rest upon the bottom of the cooker and support the perforate plate immediately above the discharge of the respective steamsupply pipes, substantially as described.

8. In a steam-cooker, the combination with a steam boiler or generator of angular form, having steam-supply pipes projecting laterally through the respective sides of the generator and provided with a peripheral upstanding flange at the top thereof, of independent cookers,each cooker having a flat side provided with a transverse opening adapted to receive the projecting ends of the respec tive steam-pipes,whereby the cooker may rest flat against the adjacent side of the generator and provided at the top edge of the flat side with a hooked flange adapted to engage the upstanding flange of the generator and thereby removably connect the cooker thereto, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

J OHN WALTER.

Witnesses:

IDA WALTER, OLENA NORBOE. 

